Heating Services In Hudson, Ma. Installations, Replacements, and Repairs
The Heating Business...
Richard T. Curley Plumbing and Heating has kept Hudson MA homes warm since 1980. We specialize in boiler repair, boiler replacement, radiant heat, baseboard systems, and circulator pump service. If your heat runs on hot water or steam, we handle it.
We do not push new equipment when a repair will do the job. If your boiler can be fixed, we fix it. If it's time for a replacement, we'll give you a straight answer — no pressure, no scare tactics, no upsell.
Here at Richard T. Curley Plumbing and Heating, we are committed to same-day heating service for every Hudson resident. A cold house in January isn’t something you wait on.
Hudson’s heating basements tell the town’s story better than any history book. You’ll find 1890s cast-iron steam radiators hissing under triple sash windows, a mid-century oil boiler in the corner, hydronic baseboard added during a 1960s porch conversion, and a ductless heat pump on the upstairs wall — all warming the same house. It’s not unusual. It’s the norm here, because Hudson was built by the shoe mills before forced air existed, and every generation since has layered on whatever the house could accommodate.
Boiler Repair and Replacement...
Boiler Repair… A boiler that’s making noise, short-cycling, or leaving you with lukewarm baseboards needs attention before it fails completely. We troubleshoot gas boilers, oil boilers, steam boilers and high-efficiency condensing units across Hudson.
One Hudson-specific fact: the closer you are to the Assabet River, the wetter your basement runs. Those fieldstone and brick foundations sit in a high water table, and in late fall and early spring a Hudson boiler does double duty — heating the house and fighting the heavy, damp chill that rises out of the basement. We account for it, because a boiler that’s also drying out a wet basement works harder than the same unit would on a dry slab.
Common repairs we handle: failed circulator pumps, faulty zone valves, expansion tank failures, air-bound radiators, thermocouple replacements, and pressure switch issues. Most repairs take one visit. We carry circulator pumps, zone valves, and common control parts on the truck, so you’re not waiting on a second trip.
Boiler Replacement… When repair isn’t the smart money, we guide you toward the right replacement. Hudson homes range from antique colonials with original steam systems to mid-century capes with baseboard hot water to new construction with radiant floors. Each one calls for different equipment.
A lot of Hudson homes can’t simply switch to forced air, even if the owners wanted to. These houses were framed before central ducts were a thing — the wall cavities and chase spaces just aren’t there. That’s why hot water and steam keep doing the job they were built for, and why a heat-pump retrofit on the municipal electric grid makes so much financial sense here. We’ll tell you plainly what your framing can and can’t accommodate before anyone starts cutting.
Hudson runs on its own municipal electric department, not the big investor-owned utilities that serve the towns around it — and those rates have historically been among the lowest and most stable in Massachusetts. For a homeowner deciding between replacing an oil boiler and switching to a cold-climate heat pump, that changes the math. In Hudson, the electric option often wins in a way it wouldn’t two towns over. We’ll run the numbers with you honestly — we’re not here to push either direction, but to show you which one actually costs less to run in this town.
We size the boiler to your home’s actual heat loss — not a guess based on what was there before. Oversized boilers, short-cycle, and waste fuel. Undersized ones can’t keep up. Getting it right matters, and we get it right.
- Weil-McLain
- Burnham
- Utica
- Buderus
Radiant Heat...
Radiant floor heat… is the most comfortable way to heat a home, and Hudson has seen more and more of it in new builds and renovations. We service and repair existing radiant — cold spots in the floor, a zone that won’t heat, or a manifold that’s leaking. If you’re planning to add radiant in a remodel, we can talk through whether it makes sense and what it takes to do it right.”
Radiant systems run at lower water temperatures than baseboard, so boiler setup and control strategy are different. We dial in the outdoor reset and mixing to keep the floor warm without wasting fuel.
BOILER CONTROLS...
- Installation
- Replacement
- Repair
- Honeywell Thermostats
- Honeywell Controls
- White Rogers Controls
- Resideo Controls
- McDonnell & Miller
- Watts Regulator
- Just a few brands.
Baseboard and Radiator Systems...
Baseboard Heat… Hudson homes with hot water baseboard know the sound of creaking copper as the heat comes up. When that sound stops — or when one room stays cold while the rest of the house is warm — something is wrong.
We bleed air from baseboard loops, replace stuck zone valves, and flush sediment from older systems. If a baseboard section is damaged or leaking, we replace it. We also add baseboard to unfinished spaces when a Hudson homeowner converts a basement or attic.
Radiators… Older Hudson homes with cast-iron radiators have heating systems that can last a century if maintained. We repair steam and hot water radiators, replace failing air vents on steam systems, and fix leaking radiator valves. A cold radiator in an otherwise warm house is almost always a simple fix — a stuck vent or a trapped air pocket.
Hudson’s big freeze-thaw swings — a 50-degree afternoon that drops below zero by midnight — are hard on single-pipe steam. The system is built for slow, steady heat, not rapid temperature changes, and it can lag or overshoot when the weather whips. That’s part of why so many Hudson homeowners have added zone control or a smart thermostat on the hydronic side. It’s not about gadgets. It’s about a system that can keep up when the thermometer drops 40 degrees in a day.
- Slant/Fin Baseboard
- Suntemp Baseboard
- Weil-McLain Cast Iron Baseboard
- Sunrad Cast Iron Radiator
- Installation
- Replacement
- Repair
Circulator Pumps and Zone Valves...
The circulator pump… is the heart of a hot water heating system. When it fails, nothing moves. Common signs: the boiler fires but the pipes stay cold, or you hear the pump humming louder than it should.
Zone valves… control which part of the house gets heat. A stuck zone valve means one thermostat calls for heat and nothing happens — or worse, a zone that won’t shut off.
We replace Taco, Grundfos, Bell & Gossett, and Honeywell circulators and zone valves. Most are on the truck. We can convert older three-wire zone valves to modern two-wire when the time comes.
Expansion Tanks… Every hot water heating system has an expansion tank, and most Hudson homeowners never think about it until it fails. A waterlogged expansion tank causes the pressure relief valve to drip — that drip is your early warning.
We test expansion tanks, repressurize bladder-type tanks when possible, and replace them when they’ve failed. A working expansion tank protects your boiler from pressure damage and extends the life of the whole system.
- Taco Circulator Pumps
- Taco Zone Valves
- Grundfos Circulator Pumps
- Bell & Gossett Circulator Pumps
- Extrol Expansion Tanks
- Installation
- Replacement
- Repair
Common Heating Questions in Hudson
Usually not, but it needs attention. In Hudson’s older homes, banging — called kettling — is often mineral buildup inside the boiler’s heat exchanger. The deposits trap water, it boils too fast, and you hear the noise. In steam systems, banging can also mean the pipes aren’t pitched correctly and condensate is pooling. Either way, call us before it gets worse. A quick flush or pipe adjustment usually quiets it down.
A well-maintained cast-iron boiler can run 20 to 30 years, sometimes longer in the older Hudson colonials where the original unit was overbuilt. High-efficiency condensing boilers typically last 15 to 20 years. The difference maker is annual service — a clean boiler runs cooler, burns less fuel, and lasts longer.
If you have baseboard hot water heat, the culprit is usually a stuck zone valve or air trapped in that loop. If it’s a radiator system, a stuck air vent keeps steam from filling the radiator. Both are common in Hudson’s older two-story homes where the upstairs and downstairs are on different zones. We can diagnose it in one visit — most fixes take under an hour.
Short-cycling. In Hudson homes, the most common causes are an oversized boiler, a faulty thermostat location, or a clogged circulator pump that's moving too little water. If the boiler fires, hits temperature in two minutes, shuts off, and repeats three minutes later, it's short-cycling. It wastes fuel and wears out the boiler faster. We'll find the cause and fix it.
Yes. Hudson has plenty of older homes with one-pipe steam systems, and we know them well. Steam is a different animal than hot water — it relies on proper venting, correct pipe pitch, and boiler water that’s clean. We handle steam boiler repair, radiator vent replacement, and main vent upgrades. A steam system that’s tuned right is quiet and efficient. One that’s neglected is noisy and expensive to run.
If gas is available on your street, it’s usually worth looking at the numbers. Gas boilers cost less to run than oil in most years, and they don’t require a delivery schedule or an oil tank in the basement. We handle the full conversion — removing the old oil boiler and tank, running the gas line, and installing the new unit. If gas isn’t available on your street yet, we can point you toward who to ask about line extension.
For the full scope of heating services across every Metrowest town we serve, see our heating system repair guide for Metrowest.
Need bathroom plumbing while we’re in the house? Our bathroom plumbing services in Hudson cover toilets, sinks, tubs, and showers. If your hot water is part of the heating problem, our water heater services in Hudson handle gas, electric, and power-vent repair and replacement.
For everything else in Hudson — plumbing repairs, water heaters, drains, and more — see our full Hudson plumbing services page.